For the seventh year, UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) will be hosting the Hawai‘i AgDiscovery Program from July 9 to 22, 2017, for students ages 14-17. This unique, free summer program gives teen participants a first-hand look at the many career paths open to them in agriculture and natural resource management, including plant and animal sciences, wildlife management and agribusiness.

Application deadline is Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Youth from all Hawaiian Islands may apply.

Every summer, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) partners with selected universities and colleges, including CTAHR, to deliver the AgDiscovery programs at different locations throughout the country.

The program allows students to live on a college campus and learn about agriculture and related fields from professors, scientists and professionals. CTAHR’s educators and researchers open their labs and experiment stations to the students, and APHIS sends professionals from its Plant Protection and Quarantine, Veterinary Services, Biotechnology Regulatory Services and Wildlife Services branches.

Other government agencies represented include the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture and Honolulu Zoo. From the private sector come professionals from Kualoa Ranch, Mari’s Garden, Pioneer and more.

Students chosen to participate in Hawai‘i AgDiscovery Program will gain life-changing experiences through hands-on laboratories, workshops, field trips, and character- and team-building activities. Students in past years have learned to perform water-quality analysis, use GPS devices, identify microorganisms under the microscope, extract DNA, color fabric using natural dyes, and tend taro in lo‘i. Pictures from last year's AgDiscovery class are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ctahr/sets/72157670567791490

In addition to learning by doing, participants network with professionals across the agricultural spectrum and observe careers in agriculture and natural resource management.

To learn more about this unique opportunity, please visit the website at www.aphis.usda.gov/agdiscovery. While on that webpage, you may apply for the 2017 Hawaii AgDiscovery Program at UH Mānoa by clicking on the link for the fillable application form.